Reviews

BOB DYLAN
CHRISTMAS IN THE HEART
COLUMBIA/SONY

Perhaps the worst aspect of Christmas celebrations is the plethora of usually woeful music that accompanies the festive season. If you are lucky, you might be able to slip on Phil Spector’s Christmas Album, the Alligator Christmas Collection or A New Orleans Christmas. Now you can add Christmas In The Heart to your yuletide celebrations. It might make the season
marginally more bearable, if you don’t listen too closely.

One can hardly fault Dylan’s motives in releasing this new album of Christmas songs. All proceeds go to charity – in this case the World Food Programme. For the past few years I have been amongst those who have called for Dylan to say something about politics or world affairs and this is, at least, a really positive statement on his part and a heartening move.

The shock that Dylan would record an album of traditional Christmas songs is partly ameliorated by the consideration that he is steeped in American traditional music across many genres. (Plus, in recent years he has shown himself to be an opportunist by doing ads for lingerie, cars and his own radio show, as well as lending his music for bank ads.)

The bigger shock here is the fact that the songs are performed so conservatively by Dylan, his band (and guest David Hidalgo of Los Lobos), plus a chorus of singers. It sounds like something straight out of the ‘50s and as if Bob has stepped off the set of the Mitch Miller Show with the Ray Conniff Singers. The very traditional album cover should have been a clue to this. Strange that in concert Dylan would have so little respect for the arrangements of his own old songs but reveres these chestnuts.

I suppose it is preferable to hear Dylan croak his way through these songs than be subjected to Michael Crawford or a host of other singers doing the same songs. But to hear him sing ‘O’ Come All Ye Faithful’ or ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ is an experience that can only be described as bizarre.

‘The Christmas Blues’ has a lot of charm. ‘Christmas Island’ has a lovely Hawaiian leaning but has double-edged meaning for us in Australia. The playing, of course, is superlative, which in some ways compensates for the eccentric vocals of the album’s creator (also its producer).

My initial thought was that this is a case of The Emperor’s New Clothes but at this stage in his life and career Bob Dylan can probably do whatever he wants. If he does it for charity so much the better. Someone much more unkind than I might suggest that this could be nominated for a Grammy – in the comedy category!